Tappet tool



Feb. 2, 1960 J. v. HOFFMAN ET AL 2,923,054

TAPPET TOOL Original Filed July 13, 1954 "Oil!!! 44 IN VEN TOR. JOHN l/ /ZOFFMAN E DWARD hOFFM/I N United States Patent O TAPPET TOOL John v. Hoffman, Council Bluffs, and Edward Hoffman,

' Glenwood, Iowa Continuation of abandoned application Serial No. 443,129, July 13, 1954. This application February 4, 1957, Serial No. 638,165 g V 1 Claim. (Cl. 29-270) This invention relates to valve tappet tools to beused to remove or install tappets of anautomobileengine and it is a particular object of this invention to remove and install tappets in an automobile engine without removing the engine from the automobile as has been necessary heretofore.

The present valve tappet tool is designed especially for 1954 Ford V-8 engines but can be altered somewhat for use in other model engines.

The manufacturers repair manual on' this 1954 Ford V-8 engine instructs the mechanic to remove the engine from the frame when it becomes necessary to make repairs on the tappets as is the usual practice. When the engine is pulled out it may be removed to a more convenient working location and the cam shaft and associated parts which include the oil pan must be dismantled to provide working space for making repairs. This procedure is time-consuming and is hard work.

Other mechanics do the same job by removing the radiator, which is necessary in any case, and also the oil pan. The mechanic then works under the engine, placing Figures 6, 7 and 8 illustrate consecutive steps in the removal or insertion of a valve tappet in a valve tappet guide using this tool, a portion of the engine block being shown in section; and

Fig. 9 is the aligning bar used to lift the tappet into place in the valve tappet guide.

The valve tappet tool 10 of this invention is provided with an elongated housing or body portion 12, preferably of box-type tubing in cross section having a base 4 with upwardly disposed side walls 5 and 6 and an upper panel 7, providing an elongated handle. The forward end of the body portion 12 has two oppositely disposed and horizontally disposed spaced apart forwardly extending ears 14. The ears 14 are provided by cutting out the upper and lower side walls of the body portion 12 a short distance rearwardly of the end.

A substantially U-shaped spring clip member 16 has its closed rearward end projecting outwardly and disposed between the ears 14 and is pivotally secured therein by means of a rivet 18.

An elongated wire clip adjusting member 20 is secured to the clip at its closed rearward portion by extending through an aperture 21 therein and extends rearwardly through the body portion 12 to a bearing member 22 disposed transversely therein and having an aperture 23 therethrough to' slidably receive the member 20, and

distance for freedom of sliding forwardly and rearwardly.

the tappets into the guide spaces which are not easily 1 accessible. This operation would almost necessitate an extra man as a helper.

This procedure is also time-consuming, tedious and expensive. Theestimated time by a standard estimating book on valve tappet and camshaft repairs is not less than eight hours and in case complications arise would be even longer.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a tool for removing and installing valve tappets of an automobile engine without removing the oil pan or completely removing the engine.

' This application is a continuation of the applicants copending patent application, Serial No. 443,129, filedJuly 13, 1954,v now abandoned. if Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the .following'detailed description, drawings and claim, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the valve tappet tool 'It will be seen that the clip '16 which includes a pair of opposed spring gripping jaws h'aving outwardly bowed arcuate portions 8 with outwardly flared ends 9, may be caused to assume the dotted line position of Figure 3 by moving the finger grip portion 24 forwardly. The clip is adapted to be positioned horizontally or vertically being movable in a full ninety degree arc.

A handle portion or grip 28 is provided at the rearward end of the body portion 12 and extends upwardly a short distance for being easily grasped by the operators hand.

Referring to Figure 3, a valve tappet 30 is shown being held by the clip member 16. I The full lines show the tappet 30 being held in a vertical positionwhereby the clip adjusting member 20 is fullyretracted. By pushing the clip adjusting member 20 forwardly the clip member 16 is caused to pivot ninety degrees around the rivet 18 and assume the dotted line position whereby the valve tappet 30 is held in a horizontal position which is the best handling position when inserting or'removing the valve tappet by the process now to be described; t a

An elongated tappet retaining trough 40 having a substantially semi-circular shape in cross section as best illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

The tappettrough 40 has a flat normally horizontally disposed bottom portion 42 and upwardly and outwardly curved side walls 44.

The trough 40 is adapted to be placed in the cam shaft opening 46 and rests on the surfaces of the camshaft bearings.

As best illustrated in Figure 6, the tappet retaining trough is shown in position in the cam shaft bearings 50 and having a tappet 52 resting therein thus preventing the tappet 52 from falling into the engine cavity 54. The tappet 52 has been released from above and would fall freely outwardly of the tappet guide 60 if it were not for the tappet trough 40.

As seen in Figures 6 and 8 another tappet 64 is shown being retained in its respective guide 66.

An elongated lifting bar is illustrated in Figure 9 and generally indicated by the numeral 70. The lifting bar will be explained in detail in the following outline of operation.

Referring in detail to Figures 6, 7 and 8, the procedure for using the tappet tool of this invention is outlined as follows:

(1) Remove the radiator and other parts in order that the cam shaft may be withdrawn from the front of the engine. This is necessary in any repair to the cam shaft or tappets. Remove the cover plates and associated parts to make the push rod and upper portion of the valve tappets accessible.

(2) Place spring clips, for instance spring type clothes pins, on the upper portions of the valve tappets to hold them in place when the cam shaft is removed so that the valve tappets will not fall downwardly into the cavity of the engine.

(3) Remove the cam shaft from the front of the motor by' pulling outwardly from the cam shaft bearing 50.

(4) Insert the valve tappet retaining trough 40 into the cam shaft opening 46 where it rests in the cam shaft bearingsSO.

(5) Remove the clip from the upper exposed portion of the valve tappet 52 allowing the valve tappet 52 to drop into the trough 40. The retaining trough 40 pro hibits the valve tappet 52 from falling outwardly of the guide 60. The head of the valve tappet 52 rests in the through 40 but the upper portion is still inserted intothe valve tappet guide 60 a short distance, keeping it in an upright position.

|(6). Insert the valve tappet tool into the cam shaft opening and place in position so that the clip member 16 engages the valve tappet 52. This is best illustrated in Figure 7.

(7) Remove the valve tappet retaining trough 40. This allows the tappet 52 to be dropped downwardly out of the valve tappet guide 60.

(8) Push the clip adjusting wire forward which causes the valve tappet 52 to assume a horizontal position beneath the body portion of the tool, as best seen in Figure 8.

(9) Remove the tool 10 and valve tappet 52 by withdrawing the tool from the cam shaft opening 46.

The installation of a valve tappet by this means is just the reverse of the above-described removing procedure with the exception that when a valve tappet is in position for insertion into the valve tappet guide, that is, when the head portion is resting on the retaining trough, the valve tappet lifting bar 70 is inserted and its chisel-shaped forward end 72 is slipped beneath the head and the bar 70 is then used to push thevalve tappet upwardly into the valve tappet guide at which time a snap clothes pin or other spring clip is clipped over the upper exposed portion of the valve tappet. After the valve tappets are installed and clipped, the cam shaft is then installed. The parts of the engine that were dismantled are then replaced to complete the job.

As above described, it will be seen that the use of this tool will cut down repair time and cost. It will also be seen that this tool fulfills its main object in that it makes the operation simpler, easier and more convenient for automobile mechanics,

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a tappet tool constructed in accordance with our invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that our invention is susceptible of some change and modifica tion without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out our invention in practice, except as claimed.

We claim:

In a valve tappet tool, the combination which comprises an elongated tubular handle, rectangular-shape in cross section having a base with upwardly extended side walls-and an upper panel, a grip positioned between the side walls and extended upwardly inan inclined position at one end of the handle, the side walls being extended at the'end of the handle opposite to the end on which the grip is positioned providing ears, a U-shaped' spring clip having arcuate outwardly bowed jaws for gripping a valve tappet positioned between the extended ends of the side walls and the ends of the jaws being flared outwardly to facilitate sliding the jaws over a valve tappet, a pin extended through the closed end of the clip and ears pivotal ly mounting the clip in the handle whereby the clipis movable through an angle of or from a position extended from the end of the handle to a position normal to the handle, the closed end of the clip having an opening therein, and a wire extended through the handle and having a finger receiving loop on the end extended from the end of the handle on which the grip is positioned and a loop on the opposite end extended through the opening in the closed end of the clip, said opening of the spring clip being positioned whereby movement of the finger receiving loop actuates the spring clip through an angle of 90.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

